54 Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house, and Peter was following at a distance. 55 And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. 56 Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, “This man also was with him.” 57 But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” 58 And a little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.” 59 And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.” 60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” 62 And he went out and wept bitterly.
63 Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking him as they beat him. 64 They also blindfolded him and kept asking him, “Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?” 65 And they said many other things against him, blaspheming him.
66 When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people gathered together, both chief priests and scribes. And they led him away to their council, and they said, 67 “If you are the Christ, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe, 68 and if I ask you, you will not answer. 69 But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” 70 So they all said, “Are you the Son of God, then?” And he said to them, “You say that I am.” 71 Then they said, “What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips.”
(ESV)
STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?
- What is the writer saying?
- How do I apply this to my life?
Jesus allowed Himself to be arrested. He was led to the high priest’s house and Peter followed from a distance. Peter warmed himself by the fire in the courtyard and a servant girl looked closely at him and then said, “This man also was with him.” Peter didn’t just deny being with Jesus but denied even knowing Him. Then someone else saw Peter and called him “one of them”. Peter denied being one of Jesus’ followers. About an hour later someone else insisted that Peter must be one of Jesus’ followers because he was Galilean but Peter denied this a third time. While his denial was still on his lips, the rooster crowed. Jesus looked at him and then Peter remembered that Jesus had said before the rooster crowd he would have denied Him three times. That cock crowing must have been painful for Peter because it reminded him of his fallibility. But it also brought hope. Jesus was still in control. Once again, what Jesus had said would happen had unfolded to the minute. Peter’s restoration began because of his immediate recognition of his sin. We will all sin again and again. Our relationship with God grows stronger when we are quick to recognise, acknowledge and turn from our sin (Psalm 51:17).
The men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him. They showed some understanding that Jesus was able to know things beyond his natural senses. Their mocking was blasphemy because they taunted God incarnate (God in human form).
They had mocked Jesus throughout the night and when day broke, the Jewish council came together to hold a trial. They asked Jesus directly if he was the Christ. They understood the main issue was over whether Jesus was the Messiah or not. Jesus’ response highlighted their necessary but failed response, that they did not believe. All evidence points to the fact that Jesus is the Messiah but they refused to believe. Jesus identified Himself as the Son of Man (Daniel 7:13-14) and looked beyond His suffering and death to when He would be restored to His place of power, seated at God the Father’s right hand. There is no denying that Jesus made a bold claim to be God. They recognised this and asked Him, “Are you the Son of God, then?” They responded that Jesus had condemned Himself by what he had said. In reality, they stood condemned because they had heard it from His own lips. They had heard all the testimony they needed to believe in Jesus as their Messiah but they condemned Him as a blasphemer.
Major Stories of the Bible Reading Plan
Hosea Marries a Prostitute: Hosea 1-2